Tag: Rebirth

• Why True Enlightenment Isn’t About Escaping the World, But Coming Back to It

  

  For many on a spiritual path, the ultimate goal seems clear: to escape the endless cycle of suffering. We strive to purify our minds and remove our afflictions in the hope of achieving a state of permanent peace, like Nirvāṇa, often imagined as a tranquil, higher realm far removed from the difficulties of this world.…

  William Altig

  November 5, 2025

  Chapter 10, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, benefit beings, Bodhisattvas, Chapter Ten Lotus Sūtra, Compassionate Vow, expound the Sūtra, higher realms, Lotus Sūtra, lower realms, Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Nirvāṇa teachings, Rebirth, removing suffering, Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, Wonderful Dharma

• The Bodhisattva Ideal and World Purification in the Lotus Sūtra Chapter Twenty-Three

  

  Date: September 4, 2025 Subject: Review of “The Luminous Path: An Examination of the Bodhisattva Ideal in Chapter Twenty-Three of the Lotus Sūtra” This briefing document summarizes the key themes, ideas, and facts presented in the provided source, “The Luminous Path: An Examination of the Bodhisattva Ideal in Chapter Twenty-Three of the Lotus Sūtra,” focusing…

  William Altig

  September 7, 2025

  Chapter 23, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Bodhisattva Ideal, Buddha Virtue Pure and Bright Like the Sun and Moon, Buddhist Philosophy, Chapter Twenty-Three, Compassion, Dharma, Dharma Offering, Enlightenment, Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings, Gratitude, Healing the World, Karma Purification, karuṇā, light, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Non-attachment, prajñā, Pure Land, Purification, Radiance, Rebirth, Samsara, Self-Immolation Metaphor, Selfless Devotion, Spiritual Practice, Spiritual Transformation, True Mind, True Vigor, upāya, wisdom

• Concepts of Universalism in Religious Thought

  

  This briefing document reviews the main themes and most important ideas or facts regarding universalism, drawing from excerpts concerning Swedenborg’s reflections, the Lotus Sutra, and Catholicism. Overall Theme: The sources explore the concept of universalism in different religious contexts, specifically focusing on the potential for salvation or enlightenment for all beings. While the terminology and…

  William Altig

  June 4, 2025

  Nichiren, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Apocatastasis., Arcana Coelestia, Avalokiteśvara, Bible Interpretation, Bodhisattva, Buddhism, Christian Universalism, Compassion, Correspondences (Swedenborgian), Dalai Lama, Divine Love and Wisdom, Eastern Religions, Enlightenment (Buddhist), faith, Heaven and Hell, Holistic Reality, Inner Meaning, Interfaith Dialogue, Lotus Sutra, Meditation, Mysticism, Nirvana, Nontheism (Buddhism), Perennial Philosophy, Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Rebirth, Religion, Religious Pluralism, Religious Tolerance, Scriptural Interpretation, Skillful Means (Upaya), Souls, Spiritual Parallels, Spiritual Reality, Spirituality, Suffering (Dukkha), Swedenborg, Theology, True Christian Religion, truth, Unitarian Universalism, Universal Reconciliation, Universalism, Western Esotericism, wisdom

• The Inconceivable Supernatural Powers of the Buddha in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  1. Introduction Overview This report undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the concept of “inconceivable supernatural powers” (acintya−ṛddhi) attributed to the Buddha, particularly as referenced in Chapter Six, “Bestowal of Prophecy,” of the Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra (Lotus Sūtra). The specific impetus for this investigation is the verse sung by Śākyamuni Buddha following his prophecy of future…

  William Altig

  April 30, 2025

  Chapter 6

  abhijna, acintya, asravaksaya, Buddha, Buddhahood, Buddhism, Dharma, Ekayana, Enlightenment, inconceivable, interpretation, jhana, karma, Kevatta Sutta, liberation, literal, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Meditation, Miracles, One Vehicle, prajna, Prophecy, psychic powers, psychological, rddhi, Rebirth, samadhi, Skillful Means, Subhuti, supernatural powers, symbolic, Theravada Buddhism, Upaya, wisdom

• The Profound Implications of Hearing the Dharma: An Analysis of Lotus Sūtra Chapter Seven Verses

  

  The Lotus Sūtra, revered as one of the most significant scriptures in Mahayana Buddhism, holds a central place in the spiritual lives of countless practitioners across East Asia. Its teachings, often considered the final and most complete exposition of Shakyamuni Buddha’s wisdom, articulate the profound principle of universal Buddhahood, asserting that all beings possess the…

  William Altig

  April 10, 2025

  Chapter 7

  Bodhi, Brahma-Heavenly-Kings, Buddhism, Buddhist cosmology, Buddhist teachings, Chapter Seven, Dharma, Enlightenment, evil regions, Four Noble Truths, Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence, heavenly realms, karma, Lotus Sutra, mahayana, Nirvana, Noble Eightfold Path, readiness, Rebirth, respect, Samsara, Skillful Means, Spiritual Journey, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality, Storytelling, Suffering, teachings, Upaya, verses, wisdom

• Chapter 12–The Future Enlightenment of Devadatta

  

  So, monks, what do you think? Was it someone else who was the king at that time? You must not believe that, for I was the King then. And what about the Seer? Do you think it was someone else who was the Seer at that time? No, you must not believe that either, for…

  William Altig

  December 20, 2023

  Chapter 12, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Buddhist art, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist teachings, Compassion, Devadatta, Dharma Teachings, Enlightenment, enlightenment path, Ethereal Realms, Ethical Living, Kalpas, Lotus Sutra, Meditation, Mindfulness, Pāramitās, Rebirth, Sacred Texts, Serene Illustrations, Six Perfect Virtues, Spiritual Aspiration, spiritual awakening, Spiritual Journey, Spiritual Purity, Spiritual Transformation, Stairs of the Gods, Stūpa, Sutra Study, Tathāgata Devarāja, Universal Truths, wisdom